Patentable/Patents/US-10925029
US-10925029

Wi-Fi access point-based positioning method and device

PublishedFebruary 16, 2021
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a mobile Wi-Fi access point determining method, a Wi-Fi access point-based positioning method, a Wi-Fi AP determining device, and a Wi-Fi-based positioning device. The method includes: determining a signal graph of each of a plurality of Wireless Fidelity access points Wi-Fi APs in a positioning area; estimating a Wi-Fi AP location based on the Wi-Fi AP signal graph; determining a divergence of the Wi-Fi AP signal graph based on the estimated Wi-Fi AP location; determining, based on the divergence of the Wi-Fi AP signal graph, whether the Wi-Fi AP is a mobile Wi-Fi AP; when the Wi-Fi AP is a mobile Wi-Fi AP, deleting the mobile Wi-Fi AP from a fingerprint database; and finally determining a positioning result of an apparatus whose signal strength is obtained. Positioning accuracy is improved in the embodiments of the present invention.

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method, comprising: determining a respective signal graph of each of a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APs) in a positioning area, wherein each respective WLAN AP signal graph comprises coordinates of a respective plurality of reference points and a WLAN AP signal strength corresponding to coordinates of each reference point of the respective plurality of references points; estimating a WLAN AP location of a first WLAN AP based on a first WLAN AP signal graph corresponding to the first WLAN AP, to obtain an estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP; determining a divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP; and determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

2

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP based on the first WLAN AP signal graph comprises: dividing a signal strength change range in the first WLAN AP signal graph into a plurality of signal strength change intervals; and separately estimating, based on coordinates of reference points corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals, a plurality of WLAN AP locations corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals, to obtain a plurality of separately estimated WLAN AP locations corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals.

3

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP comprises: determining, based on the plurality of separately estimated WLAN AP locations corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals, a plurality of divergences respectively corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals.

4

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP comprises: when smaller endpoint values of a signal strength change interval of the plurality of signal strength change intervals indicate a larger divergence corresponding to the signal strength change interval, or when larger endpoint values of a signal strength change interval of the plurality of signal strength change intervals indicate a smaller divergence corresponding to the signal strength change interval, determining that the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

5

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP based on the first WLAN AP signal graph comprises: obtaining, based on the first WLAN AP signal graph, coordinates of each reference point corresponding to the first WLAN AP, and estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP using a weighting algorithm, wherein a weight of the weighting algorithm is determined by a signal strength of a corresponding reference point.

6

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP based on the first WLAN AP signal graph comprises: calculating L * = ∑ i = 1 N ⁢ w i ⁢ L i based on the first WLAN AP signal graph, to obtain the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, wherein L* is the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, L i is coordinates of an i th reference point in the first WLAN AP signal graph, w i is a weight corresponding to the coordinates of the i th reference point in the first WLAN AP signal graph, w i = 1 / R ⁢ S ⁢ S i ∑ N j = 1 ⁢ 1 / R ⁢ S ⁢ S j , i = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , N , RSS i represents a signal strength of the i th reference point in the first LAN AP signal graph, and RSS j represents a signal strength of a j th reference point in the first WLAN AP signal graph.

7

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP comprises: calculating an average value of Euclidean distances between the plurality of respective reference points in the first WLAN AP signal graph and the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, and determining the average value as the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph.

8

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP comprises: calculating d ⁢ i ⁢ v j = ∑ i = 1 N j ⁢ ( L i ⁡ ( x ) - L * ⁡ ( x ) ) 2 + ( L i ⁡ ( y ) - L * ⁡ ( y ) ) 2 N j , wherein div j is the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, L i (x) is a horizontal coordinate of an i th reference point in the first W WLAN AP signal graph, L i (y) is a vertical coordinate of the i th reference point in the first WLAN AP signal graph, L*(x) is a horizontal coordinate of the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, L*(y) is a vertical coordinate of the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, and N j is a quantity of reference points.

9

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area, the method further comprises: obtaining a plurality of WLAN AP signal strength values of each reference point in the positioning area; and calculating a variance of the plurality of WLAN AP signal strength values; and wherein determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area comprises: when the variance is less than a variance threshold, determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area.

10

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP comprises: when it is determined that the divergence is greater than an outdoor divergence threshold, determining that the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

11

11. A method, comprising: determining a respective signal graph of each of a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APs) in a positioning area, wherein each respective WLAN AP signal graph comprises coordinates of a respective plurality of reference points and a WLAN AP signal strength corresponding to coordinates of each reference point of the respective plurality of references points; estimating a WLAN AP location of a first WLAN AP based on a first WLAN AP signal graph corresponding to the first WLAN AP, to obtain an estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP; determining a divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP; determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP; when it is determined that the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP, deleting fingerprint data of the mobile WLAN AP from a fingerprint database; and matching a first signal strength in the positioning area with a signal strength of each reference point in the fingerprint database, to determine a positioning result of an apparatus corresponding to the first signal strength.

12

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP based on the first WLAN AP signal graph comprises: dividing a signal strength change range in the first WLAN AP signal graph into a plurality of signal strength change intervals; and separately estimating, based on coordinates of reference points corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals, a plurality of WLAN AP locations corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals.

13

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein determining the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP comprises: determining, based on the plurality of separately estimated WLAN AP locations corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals, a plurality of divergences respectively corresponding to the plurality of signal strength change intervals.

14

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP comprises: when smaller endpoint values of a signal strength change interval of the plurality of signal strength change intervals indicate a larger divergence corresponding to the signal strength change interval, or when larger endpoint values of a signal strength change interval of the plurality of signal strength change intervals indicate a smaller divergence corresponding to the signal strength change interval, determining that the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

15

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP based on the first WLAN AP signal graph comprises: obtaining, based on the first WLAN AP signal graph, coordinates of each reference point corresponding to the first WLAN AP, and estimating the WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP using a weighting algorithm, wherein a weight of the weighting algorithm is determined by a signal strength of a corresponding reference point.

16

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP comprises: calculating an average value of Euclidean distances between the plurality of respective reference points in the first WLAN AP signal graph and the estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP, and determining the average value as the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph.

17

17. The method according to claim 11 , before determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area, the method further comprises: obtaining a plurality of WLAN AP signal strength values of each reference point in the positioning area; and calculating a variance of the plurality of WLAN AP signal strength values; and wherein determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area comprises: when the variance is less than a variance threshold, determining the respective signal graph of each of the plurality of WLAN APs in the positioning area.

18

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP comprises: when the divergence is greater than an outdoor divergence threshold, determining that the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

19

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein matching the first signal strength in the positioning area with a signal strength of each reference point in the fingerprint database, to determine a positioning result of an apparatus corresponding to the first signal strength, comprises: calculating a Euclidean distance according to the relation: d i = ∑ j = 1 M ⁢ ( R ⁢ S ⁢ S ⁢ I j - R ⁢ S ⁢ S i j ) 2 M , i = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , N , wherein RSSI j is a signal strength of a j th WLAN AP at an I th reference point in the positioning area, RSS i j is a signal strength of the j th WLAN AP at an i th reference point in the fingerprint database, N is a quantity of reference points in the fingerprint database, and M is a quantity of WLAN APs corresponding to the fingerprint database; and obtaining n shortest Euclidean distances from the Euclidean distance d i to obtain a positioning result L, wherein L = ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ w i ⁢ d i , w i = 1 / R ⁢ S ⁢ S i ∑ N j = 1 ⁢ 1 / R ⁢ S ⁢ S j , i = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , N , RSS i represents a signal strength of an i th reference point in the first WLAN AP signal graph, and RSS j represents a signal strength of a j th reference point in the first WLAN i AP signal graph.

20

20. A device, comprising: a non-transitory memory comprising instructions; and at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein when instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the device to: determine a respective signal graph of each of a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APS) in a positioning area, wherein each respective WLAN AP signal graph comprises coordinates of a respective plurality of reference points and a WLAN AP signal strength corresponding to coordinates of each reference point of the respective plurality of references points; estimate a WLAN AP location of a first WLAN AP based on a first WLAN AP signal graph, to obtain an estimated WLAN AP location of the first WLAN AP; determine a divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph based on the estimated WLAN AP location; and determine, based on the divergence of the first WLAN AP signal graph, whether the first WLAN AP is a mobile WLAN AP.

Classification Codes (CPC)

Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

December 22, 2016

Publication Date

February 16, 2021

Want to explore more patents?

Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.

Citation & reuse

Analysis on this page is generated by Patentable — an AI-powered patent intelligence platform. AI-generated summaries, explanations, and analysis may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL below. Patent abstracts and claims are USPTO public domain.

Cite as: Patentable. “Wi-Fi access point-based positioning method and device” (US-10925029). https://patentable.app/patents/US-10925029

© 2026 Patentable. All rights reserved.

Patentable is a research and drafting-assistant tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Documents we generate are drafts for review by a licensed patent attorney.